


If God be with us.

by TayBartlett9000



Category: British Royalty RPF, Historical RPF, The Tudors (TV)
Genre: Catholicism, Crown, England - Freeform, Gen, Historical, History, Queen - Freeform, Religion, Royalty, Sixteenth Century, Tudor, reign - Freeform, short fic, throne, triumph
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-11
Updated: 2019-08-11
Packaged: 2020-08-19 03:09:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20202742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TayBartlett9000/pseuds/TayBartlett9000
Summary: August 1553. Mary  rides into London a triumphant  victor, preparing  to  meet her subjects.





	If God be with us.

August 3, 1553.

London, England.

She rode in triumph, the adulation of the crowd as of music to her ears. She kept her gaze fixed on a point just out of reach, knowing that she and her entourage were coming ever closer to the tower of London. The tower of London. Her destination. Mary Tudor had rode for a long time, and travelled miles to get to this point. Now it seemed as if her goal was in reach. She could feel the sense of godly certainty sweeping over her. She knew that God would never allow her to fail. God was with her, as he had been with her mother before her and it was this sense of certainty that drove Mary onward.

She glanced neither to her left or right but she knew that the people of London and of England in general were pleased to see her. A Tudor on the throne was the only thing that the English people would accept. She had faught hard for this triumphant glory and it appeared that she was going to get it. Lady Jane Grey was no longer a threat to her. Mary’s path to the throne was clear.

As she and her vast onterage approached the imposing building that was the tower of London, Mary felt the presence of many souls around her, some of which were no longer living. She felt the warrior spirit of her devout catholic mother, the true queen Catherine beside her, urging her to go on. Catherine of Aragon would have dearly loved to be here this day, Mary knew. Her mother and her fierse defence of the one true faith had been the driving force behind everything the eldest of the Tudor children had done in life, and this day’s triumph was no acception.

The roars of the crowd were getting louder. Mary could now see the tower head of her and glancing to her left, she saw the auh struck face of her younger sister Elizabeth. She too had seen the spector before them and no doubt she was thinking of the time in which her mother had spent imprisoned behind those four walls. As she took in the sight of the tower before her, Mary thought only of Jane Grey. She had spent the entirety of her short nine day reign behind those walls, and if Jane’s enemies had their way, she would spend her final days there too.

Mary was not at all sure if that was what she herself wished. Jane Grey, though her enemy in her bid for the crown, was her cousin. All of the Grey girls were. Mary had grown to love the girl inspight of herself and inspight of Jane’s refusal to follow the true path of Christ. But Mary knew that the prospect of imprisonment and a possible death would have to follow. She could not allow her enemies to escape punishment for their crimes. God willed it, and if God willed it, then it would be so.

Mary Tudor knew that Jane Grey would not be the only thorn in her side once the day came for her to wear the crown. Mary knew that the list of enemies of her catholic majesty would increase a hundred fold once she began putting God’s plan into action. It was time, thought Mary, to cast away the false church and restore the purity of Catholicism to England. Her father had destroyed the spiritual foundation of England when he had broke with the sacred church of Rome, all for the woman who’s daughter was now riding at her side. Anne Boleyn had been the primary cause of England’s ruination and Mary intended to fix that. She would restore the true faith to England and bring everyone back into the fold. Protistantism would become a thing of the past and everyone who refused to convert would face harsh penalties. Mary already had that plan firmly fixed in her mind. She remembered too clearly the way in which her father had treated her mother for refusing to renounce her status as queen and for refusing to accept protestant rule in England. Mary remembered too well the pain that had followed her own refusal to declare herself a bastard instead of a princess born of legitimacy. She would not allow crimes such as these to befall catholics any longer. The people of the true faith had been oppressed for long enough now in favour of a false faith and a false belief. Not any more. Mary Tudor would bring an end to England’s strife. She would do the right thing for her people and in doing so, she would do right by her mother and ensure that her long struggle had not been in vain. Mary Tudor would rule.


End file.
